Widespread failures in financial regulation and supervision proved
devastating to the stability of the nation’s financial markets.

Dramatic failures of corporate governance and risk management at many
systemically important financial institutions were a key cause of this
crisis.

A combination of excessive borrowing, risky investments, and
lack of transparency put the financial system on a collision course with
crisis.

The government was ill prepared for the crisis, and its
inconsistent response added to the uncertainty and panic in the financial
markets.

There was a systemic breakdown in accountability and
ethics.Lenders made loans that they knew borrowers could not afford and
that could cause massive losses to investors in mortgage securities....They knew
a significant percentage of the sampled loans did not meet their own
underwriting standards or those of the originators. Nonetheless, they sold those
securities to investors.

Collapsing mortgage-lending standards and
the mortgage securitization pipeline lit and spread the flame of contagion and
crisis.

Obama’s approval rating climbed to 52 percent, his highest rating in many
months, according to Gallup’s latest poll. The last three days of the
Democratic National Convention gave him a 7 percent bump in approval over three
days, with a 3 percent hike in just the past 24 hours. Mitt Romney received no
bump in the polls from the RNC, dropping from 47 percent before the convention
to 46 percent.

re:CounterIntellPolitico is fairly centrist,
not obviously left or right.

The stock market has been going up like crazy. Why? Because investors have
realized that everything is getting better and that Obama will be reelected (so
we will be continuing in the right direction).

Obama is in big trouble. Romney had an okay speech and that's all he
really needed. Obama had an okay speech and he REALLY need something big. He
has no plan. This country can't wait for him to have another try at it.

I still think if was interesting to see Mrs. President Obama sitting there ready
to give VP Biden the cut it off sign almost in his lap. Again, Biden only said
there were 2 tough decisions the President made, the auto industry bailout and
Bin Laden. The President can't win without the unions such as the UAW and
SEIU behind him.

This administration twists everything, worse than
Bill Clinton's timeframe. At least President Obama okayed the kill, not
firing a couple of drones and then dropping the real hunt. President Clinto
made it sound as if he did everything perfectly and is the only one that can and
did. That was one way to say that this President isn't really doing it,
without doing it.

Less than two months will bring wrangling to the
highest peak and pinnacle.

I've never heard this guy speak with any kind of substance. He
doesn't understand the fibers that make a free country and a free people.
At the DNC, even his own are divided on basic issues that make America free and
unique among world powers. The loony left who want to live off the labors of
others don't belong in a free society. And they should never be given
leadership roles in a free society.

It's just like the old metaphor about you and your fellow camper being
chased by a bear. You don't need to be faster than the bear, only faster
than your friend. Obama did not need to be perfect, or even great. He just
needed to be better than Romney. And he was by all accounts.

Obama
got a significant bounce from his convention, Romney got zero bounce. The
numbers don't lie. End of story.

4 years ago the Republicans managed to have the economy in a free fall, the
stock market crashing from 14,000 to 6,600, home prices in free fall, 800,000
plus jobs lost per month, 2 wars, a manufacturing industry on the verge of total
collapse, and a banking system on its knees needing a global bailout... and a
full blow global recession....

Based on these credentials, they are
proud to announce that really, this time they do have the answer. Not going to
tell us other than it will be to lower the top marginal rate, get rid of all
capital gains taxes (which represents 100% of Romney's income and will
lower his personal marginal income tax rate to 0%), and reduce the the deduction
we have on homes by 30% to pay for the capital gains cut.

Romney's taxes go to 0. The average household looses 30% of the mortgage
deduction.

I wish there was a real honest plan out there. I do
think Obama's plan has had marginal successs - success none-the-less but
marginally so. We need a better plan, just not Romney's.

If Obama needs more time, and he's really trying to help our economy, then
why:

* give billions to the Muslim Brotherhood, and use the stimulus
money to give billions to China, Japan, Australia, Finland, Mexico. And why
hundreds of millions to Solyndra?* take millions of our money for
vacations.* not deal with Canada for an oil pipeline?

I would just say this - perhaps as a challenge to liberals. Go see "2016
Obama's America". It is playing at Cenemark theaters. The director is
Dinesh D'Souza. If you people truly are "open minded" then go see
the documentary. If you have seen it I would like to hear an "objective"
opinion - not an emotional response. Tell me what you thought about the points
brought forward in the film - especially the last 20 minutes when it talks
about what 2016 will look like under 4 more years of Obama. Again - save your
emotional response because I don't want to hear it. I do want to hear
however your thoughts or your "objective and fact based" rebuttal or
your agreement. I want to hear your thoughts about the national debt graphic
especially. Set aside your partisan hats and just try to be open minded if you
can. If you can't then don't bother.

After seeing the documentary 2016 - Obama's American I have a different
take on things. I would highly encourage everyone - conservative and liberal to
see it. It is excellent. As far as Obama's speech - I'm not surprised
at all. Obama doesn't feel the need to repeat 2008 because he thinks
American's are too gullible - too uninformed - and too lazy intellectually
to NOT elect him in 2012. He may be right. Sadly he may be right. There are many
great people in this country but there are also many people who are ripe for
someone like Obama to overwhelm them. Sad but true.